National newspaper awards recognize Newfoundland SaltWire weeklies

News Media Canada's annual Canadian Community Newspaper Awards is honouring the work of three SaltWire Network publications in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Pilot (Lewisporte), The Compass (Carbonear) and The Packet (Clarenville) were recognized in five categories for the 2017 edition of the awards, which honour the best in community publishing across Canada.

The Pilot placed second in Best All-Around Newspaper and first in Best Front Page (circulation 1,250-1,999). Both are considered general excellence awards.

The Compass claimed first-place honours in the Best Feature Series category (circulation under 4,000), recognizing three stories written by editor Andrew Robinson about the people who helped rescue a group of women trapped inside a burning Bay Roberts school in 1974. The Compass also received a third-place award for Best Front Page (circulation 2,000-2,999).

The Packet in Clarenville won a first-place award in Best Multimedia Feature for "The 26 from the Southwest Arm" (circulation under 10,000). The feature published last November on an unveiling ceremony at Little Heart’s Ease Academy included copy and photos for print, and video for web and Facebook

This year's competition saw over 200 publications submit 2,266 entries in 34 categories. A full list of winners can be found here.